1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document folder upon which the title or other printed matter visible from the exterior of the folder may be changed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In business and industry many sales are made to prospective customers utilizing documents in the nature of business proposals, customized sales proposals, or other documents intended for presentation to specific businesses or governmental organizations. In presenting proposals of this type it is quite desirable to identify the document as having been prepared especially for presentation to a specific entity. This may best be done by including the name or other identifying indicia of the entity for whom the document is intended for presentation on the front cover of the document.
This practice has several advantages. By printing the name of the entity for which the proposal has been prepared on the cover, it becomes apparent to the decision making individuals within that entity that some time and effort has been spent in considering the specific needs and requirements of the entity for which the proposal has been prepared. That is, it is apparent that the proposal is not just a general item of promotional material that would be given to any prospective business customer. The entity preparing and presenting such a customized proposal is therefore more likely to have greater credibility in the minds of the decision-making individuals receiving the proposal insofar as the perceived depth of understanding of the unique needs and requirements of the receiving entity are concerned.
The use of an individual title of the intended recipient of a business proposal also has advantages to individuals dealing with the proposal document on behalf of the entity preparing and presenting the document. A title identifying the intended recipient of the intended proposal serves to differentiate the particular form and substance of a proposal prepared for one intended recipient from similar, yet somewhat different, variations of the proposal that may have been prepared for presentation to other intended recipients. Thus, a unique title that is visible even before the proposal folder is opened ensures that the presenting individual brings to the intended recipient only those copies of a general presentation approach that have been uniquely modified for a particular intended recipient.
One difficulty in customizing document folders for use with particular intended recipients is the relatively great expense of printing a title on a cover of a single or a small number of document folders. According to conventional construction techniques, documents folders are typically formed from a single, die-cut sheet of thick paper or card stock. Once cut, the sheets of card stock are folded according to particular patterns. In the simplest form a folder may be merely creased in half to form a stiff front and back cover joined to each other by a spine fold demarcation. However, often the sheet of stock from which the folder is formed is cut so as to additionally define reinforcement margins, pockets, and sometimes interior binding folds. In any event, the die-cut sheet of stock in its flat form before folding is typically significantly larger than a standard sheet of paper, which may be eight and a half by eleven inches, eight and a half by thirteen inches, eight and a half by fourteen inches, or A4 size.
At present, most conventional computer-operated printers are designed to receive only standardized sizes of stock having the dimensions of typical, standard size, paper sheets. As a consequence, a document folder cannot be fed through a conventional computer-operated printer, such as a laser printer, in its unfolded form because the flattened sheet of stock is simply too large to pass through the printer. On the other hand, once the sheet of stock is folded to define the covers and possibly pockets within a folder, the folded sheet of stock is too thick to pass through a conventional, computer-operated printer. As a consequence, folders can only be printed on their surfaces with special purpose, expensive printing machines. While it may be economical to print a large number of folders with the same title on such special purpose printing machines, the economic cost of printing only a small number of folders using such special-purpose printing machines ordinarily cannot be justified.
One approach to providing a document with a title indicating the intended recipient is to package the presentation materials within a folder having a transparent front cover. The title is then printed on the top page of the documents within the folder and the contents of the folder are then bound between the covers. Since the top cover is transparent, the title of the presentation materials is visible through the transparent front cover. Because the title is printed on the top sheet of a standard size sheet of paper, it can easily pass through a conventional, computer-operated printer which can print small quantities of documents economically. However, a folder of this type is disadvantageous in that it lacks the pockets that can be easily created using a card stock or stiff paper stock sheet of material in the folder construction. Also, the cost of the transparent cover adds to the expense of the folder. Furthermore, the transparent material forming the cover is often considerably less stiff than the thick paper stock or card stock material employed to form conventional presentation folders.
Another approach to providing a card stock or thick paper stock folder with a customized cover is to form a window in the front cover and to position a sheet of paper bearing the title within the folder as the top sheet in a stack of presentation materials. The title on this sheet is thereby visible through the title window formed in the cover. However, quite often materials within the folder become rearranged so that the title page is covered up by other sheets which should be located behind the title page. As a consequence, printed material that clearly is not a title will often erroneously appear in the title window in the front cover. This greatly detracts from the impression created by the presentation folder since instead of appearing as a document entitled for and carefully prepared for use by a particular entity, the folder appears to encase a disorganized assemblage of materials.
Still another approach to providing a card stock or thick paper stock folder with a title is to print the title on a title label, and to attach the label, typically by means of adhesive, to the exterior surface of the front cover. While title labels of this type can be printed economically in this way, the use of a label attached adhesively to the front cover renders the folder less professional in appearance. Also, the use of adhesive labels adds an additional step to the assembly of the folder, since the adhesive label must be activated, either by pressure or moisture, and pressed against the exterior surface of the cover. This additional step is normally performed manually. As a result, placement of a label crooked or in a nonuniform manner on several copies of the presentation materials is not uncommon.